Pretty When You Cry
by Ethriel
Summary: How far would you go would to protect someone you love? What would you be willing to do to keep them safe? And what price would you pay to someone you hate to keep it that way? KaiTala Yaoi! T for now, rating will go up
1. Prologue

Pretty When You Cry Prologue

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Title – Pretty When You Cry

Chapter – Prologue

Warnings – Language, yaoi, bullying, violence, rape (depending on how you look at it), AU and angst.

Rating – R

Summary – How far would you go would to protect someone you love? What would you be willing to do to keep them safe? And what price would you pay to someone you hate to keep it that way? KaiTala Yaoi!

Author's Note - Yes, yet another new fic idea! As usual it's KaiTala, but I might even throw in a very bloody weird pairing for y'all. But that's a maybe. There may also be some BryanRei. Dunno yet. As mentioned, I'm going with this on inspiration alone. Enjoy!

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He had always hated gym. He was small, he was almost painfully thin, he couldn't see without his glasses and this combination made him an obvious target, especially in the locker-rooms. Especially in fourth period on Monday's, where the football team had a free period straight after lunch and so started their training as soon as the bell had rung, symbolising the end of class and the beginning of lunch, and they had changed. The problem was that by the time Kenny had just started changing back into his clothes, they always seemed to turn up.

His brother tried to help him – sometimes managing to rush from his own class and make it in time before the football team did. At others his brother tried forging notes to excuse him from gym, and he would be sent to study hall. This time, the coach hadn't bought the note. And he'd told Kenny that if he didn't get changed-up and on the court, he would be sent to the principal. That was the last thing the brunette wanted. Grades, an almost perfect attendance record and favour amongst his teachers was all he had in high-school.

Of course, those things didn't help him stay off the radar of the jocks. It made him flash like an enemy battle-ship waiting to be sunk. Hurriedly he tugged off his gym t-shirt, throwing on the school shirt that was already waiting, and began to button it up as quickly as his fumbling fingers would let him. He didn't care if his body was still slightly damp from the showers, nor did he care if his clothes clung to him. He **needed** to be out of the room before the jocks got there. Quickly patting his matchstick thin legs over the towel to dry them slightly, he began to loosen the knot.

Another tighter one formed in his stomach as the door swung open and the usual loud chatter of the football team filled the room. All the freshmen promptly threw their eyes to the ground and pointedly ignored Kenny, knowing that as long as they didn't interfere, everything would be fine for them. They filed in one-by-one, most of the players too sturdy to fit through the door in groups of two or three at the same time, and each and everyone had a remark to throw.

"Hey loser."

"Nice piece bookworm."

"Yeah, you got the worm part right!"

"Lose any leaves today, twiggy?"

"Hey, check it out; he's grown a whole centimetre!"

"You know something, that kid's so skinny he could hang glide on a Dorito."

The insults stopped, and Kenny felt his body tightening as he lifted his eyes ever so slightly to meet the crimson pair that flicked to him as soon their owner realised he was being watched, eyes freezing over as he paused. "You are no longer worthy of my contempt or insults. Let alone the pride and standing to even look at me. If you're half as intelligent as you think, you'll understand and stop staring."

Kenny dropped his eyes before the words were finished being murmured in a tone so low he could hardly hear them over the beating of his heart. He saw the bluenette's sneakers leave his line of sight, and almost sighed in relief. Kai was the worst. Sure, he never got actively involved in the beatings, but his insults always hurt more than the half-assed moronic ones he received from the others. Kai Hiwatari's insults hit the bone and kept on cutting.

As usual, most of the team followed Kai's lead and departed to get changed, but three of them hung behind, smirking at him. He couldn't help but cower back into the wall, an instinct that was pretty much like blood in the water, causing the sharks to circle in closer. "Aww, baby-freshman is scared of us Steve." The first murmured lowly to one of his compatriots, who chuckled and nodded.

"Yes, s'not like we'd hurt a little thing like him, wouldn't take much." Steve tilted his head, a wicked smile curving his lips. "Though I think he'd be too tight to take too much." He tossed a lewd wink back to Crusher, who laughed heartily at the words while the small brunette blushed and continued to change, trying to ignore the three considerably larger seniors.

"He'd only be good the first time anyway, and that's solely because he's a cherry. But if you two would wanna take my left-over's, you'd be welcome to these ones." Rik shrugged, unimpressed. "Now his brother...that's a different story."

"Hey, hey," Crusher interceded before the blonde could go into too much detail, eyes darting over to his Captain only to find his full attention on Rik, "wouldn't go there my friend. That's the captain's booty, if you know what I'm saying."

"He isn't doing too good a job of claiming his 'booty'." Rik shrugged once more, totally nonchalant.

"No, but who has? Only guy I heard he dated was Bryan, and that guy left over a year and a half ago. And no one knows if he even got inside those tight leather pants." Steve added.

"Main point," Crusher insisted firmly, "Kai's claimed that bounty, and you know he won't stop till he gets it. And anyone gets there before he does, he's gonna be pissed, so just leave him outta it."

While the seniors argued amongst themselves, Kenny had managed to finish changing, and was hugging to the wall as he tried to escape before it finished. Unluckily, the argument ended too soon for his liking and Rik blocked his way with an arm, forcing him back into his corner. "Now where d'you think you're going?" Crusher asked, and from the corner of his eye he noted Kai's attention move back to changing. "We've got plans for you sweetheart."

"Yeah...you want to start through here and work our way to the shower, or d'you just wanna skip the foreplay and get right down to it?"

Kenny almost slumped in relief, eyes wide as he saw the lean form of his brother sidle up behind the football players. They didn't seem to notice him until he was pressed up against Rik's back, smiling coldly as his chin was propped on the blonde's sturdy shoulder, arms looped around his waist, hand held discreetly above the crotch of Rik's jeans, silver bracelet and a four inch blade glittered in the bright light from the ceiling, tapping teasingly. "Hi Rik."

"Tala." Was the curt response, and the smile on the face of the redhead widened, head tilting as the tapping become more annoyed - faster, harder. The remaining two jocks did nothing but watch, not willing to risk getting too close lest the blue-eyed teen turn the knife on them or their genitals. Tala had never had a problem pulling the blade, and they were sure he would mind using it after what he'd apparently done in grade-school. None of them needed an injury that could jeopardize their future careers, or their life, and kept back. To his credit, Rik remained calm even when a knife beating rhythmically against his crotch.

"How are you this afternoon?"

Kai couldn't help but smirk slightly as he caught sight of the angry but composed redhead standing behind Rik, who refused to reply to his question and remained as still as a statue. His eyes shifted to the figure behind him and allowed them to trail down the lightly shivering body. Repressing a chuckle he tugged his shirt over his head, half his focus on continuing to change, the other half on the scene in the corner, and waiting for when he would inevitably have to intervene.

"Oh, how am I, you ask? Well, I'm a little pissed-off, if you hadn't guessed. Why, you ask? Well, your last comment pretty much speaks for itself. Think of touching a single hair on his head, and you'll be missing a part of your body that is **so** very dear to you...and I'll make sure to keep it for the six minutes so that it can't be sewed back on. Not that I'd enjoy keeping it near myself for that long, mind you. But I would enjoy taking it off. The question would be...how? One quick, clean slice so you don't bleed to death straight away and die of shock...or should I do it slowly, just saw it off a bit at a time?" The redhead's free arm snaked its way around Rik's broad chest, a finger lifting to tap his lips thoughtfully. "Which one...which one...which one...well, for now I'll just settle for deciding, next time, you won't be so fortunate. Now why don't you be a good puppy, and skip on back to your Master hmm?"

The deceivingly strong arms slid away, and Rik put space between himself and the redhead quickly, snapping around and glaring at him. "I ain't **no ones** puppy!"

A smirk pulled at the redhead's lips as he nodded. "You're right, you're right...you're too ugly to be a puppy. How about I re-phrase and say why don't you be a good bitch and go heel beside your master."

"Why you little..." Rik took a threatening step forward, fists clenched by his side as his body shook with rage. A sharp voice sliced in, stopping him in his tracks, though he did not fail to notice the way Tala moved his body in front of Kenny, knife still held casually by his side, eyes glowing with mirth and amusement.

"Rik, enough." Kai strolled over to the other five teens, knowing all eyes in the room were on him and revelling in the power he had over his underlings. Unfolding one arm from before his chest, he gave a dismissive wave to the team-members who were already changed. "Practise." He reminded, and obediently they scuttled out via the showers and onto the pitch. Steve and Crusher nudged Rik, and the trio also set off into the showers, realising they would be forced to change in there as Kai wished privacy. And getting on Kai's bad-side was something none of the three wanted.

Just before they reached the showers Tala called Rik back, and when the burly blonde glanced over his shoulder, the redhead lifted a hand and gave a coy wave, knife flickering in warning with the movement. With a snort Rik, Steve and Crusher disappeared behind the tiles, and Tala was forced to turn his eyes back to the smouldering crimson pair before him. They grew larger as the bluenette stepped closer, clucking his tongue disapprovingly, torso exposed and just asking to be attacked...at least, in Tala's opinion it was. Coming this close without all his protective gear on? He would admit Kai was braver than many.

Kai leant down, arms extending to land on the wall at either side of Tala's head, staring directly into the baby-blues that flashed threateningly as he left the redhead completely cornered, Kenny still cowering behind him. Dismissing the small brunette from his mind he tilted his head, lips so close to the others ear that Tala could feel the amused smirk curling the bluenette's lips as he spoke. "You know, you should be careful who you point that thing at, one day someone is going to pull a bigger one, and I might not be there to save you." He felt a feather-like brush against his clothed thigh through the light-weight material of his pants, but didn't glance down, knowing what it was touching him. The cool firmness of steel let him know exactly what it was.

"Why don't you pull a bigger one right now, then, and we'll see who needs saving?" Tala asked lowly, pulling his head back just far enough to meet Kai's eyes, refusing to back down from the senior.

Kai's smirk widened. "If you put the knife away, I'll pull out something even bigger for you."

That did cause Tala to step back, sneering and shaking his head in disgust, eyes narrowed disdainfully at the chuckling bluenette, who stepped back and away, turning and walking towards his shirt.

"So easily offended Tala...like a virginal bride." He quickly pulled the sweater over his head and, without a backward glance, dismissed Tala from his thoughts with an abrupt, "Though I would love to continue this discussion, I would set a bad example to my team if I were to show up late for practise. So if you'll excuse me, we will pick this up later."

Tala watched until the bluenette was completely gone from sight, and everything was silent apart from the harsh breathing of his little brother. For a moment, he just glared at the exit Kai had gone through, then he realised what was going on, and immediately turned around, anger dissipating within the blue-orbs and being replaced with concern as he sat down, taking Kenny with him and hugging the younger boy to his chest, but not to tightly. The frail body quivered violently as his lungs strained to draw in oxygen, and Tala allowed a hand to soothingly stroke the brunette's torso, whispering softly to him. "You need to calm down. You know there's nothing wrong anymore, and there's nothing to be worried about, so just relax and take a big deep breath, okay? That's it, like that, just keep breathing deep, remember what the doctor told you..."

"Tala...I'm...I'm going to...to be sick..." Kenny managed to gasp out, eyes stinging with tears at the burning he felt just below his lungs and at the top of his stomach, trying to curl into himself but feeling Tala's strong arms keeping his torso straight. He heard his brother shush him gently as he rested his temple upon the younger boy's head.

"No you're not, you're just a little worked up, relax. You have to calm down." Tala began rocking him slowly, making sure his body did not curl in on itself. "You have to keep yourself straight Kenny, I know it hurts, I know, but you know that if you're all bent up it'll only make it harder to breathe. Please calm down. Remember what that doctor told you? Just close your eyes and imagine you're holding a flower. Take in a deep deep breath to smell it, and hold the scent in your lungs...that's it, now come on, blow it out like you're trying to blow the seeds off one of those wishing flower things. That's it, do it again."

"I need to be sick!" Kenny whined, squirming, trying to escape his brother's hold. It was futile and he knew it, and he knew he shouldn't try to fight because it would only tire him more and would only make breathing harder, and so he reluctantly stopped, trying to keep his stomach in order and breathe deeply at the same time, closing his eyes as he felt his lungs physically **shaking** with the strain that was being put on them.

"That's good, you're calming down, see? Now just keep it up, you're going to be fine." Tala was worried as hell. He just wanted to scream at Kenny, tell him to calm the fuck down and take a deep breath, to get up off the floor and leave, but he couldn't do that. If he did Kenny would only get more worked up and wind up hurting himself. **He** had to remain calm and strong, keep his brother from getting worse. "See, everything's okay, its working, now just keep going, you're nearly there."

Footsteps echoed in the shower room and Tala's head snapped around, eyes poised in a venomous glare which lessened into a peeved look as he saw the coach of the football team standing at the entrance, about to step closer when Tala shook his head. "He's fine." It was a rough snap that momentarily shocked the coach, before he regained composure.

"What's wrong with him?"

"There's nothing **wrong** with him." Tala seethed, continuing to caress his brother's torso. "He's fine."

"Really? Well he doesn't **look** fine." The coach snapped in return. "Should I go get the nurse?"

"No, he's just had a panic attack. All he needs is to calm down. I'm his fucking brother, I've seen this happen before, and I **know** how to help him."

"Are you sure he doesn't need the nurse?" The coach persisted, unsure.

"No, but I'll take him after he's calmed down. Right now it's best he gets his breath back...just like after you've been tackled by a guy twice your size with enough force that it feels like your ribs have been broken, you need to get your wind back before moving too much. He'll be fine as long as he calms down."

"I'm calmed down." The shivering bundle in his arms spoke breathlessly. A small smile touched Tala's face, a soft fond smile he showed only to Kenny.

"You sure? You're shaking pretty badly..."

"He's calmed down. His body is shaking because of the strain leaving, he'll be fine in a minute or so. I'll take him to the nurse then."

The coach's green eyes shifted to Kenny, guiltily looking him over. "Is this what that note was about?"

Tala nodded. "Yes. It doesn't always happen, but he knows when he's going to have one when he wakes up in the morning, his sides and stomach hurts. When the attack hits...we don't know. But they can also be triggered by too much strain, which is why my mother and I prefer he not do gym."

The coach nodded in understanding, gaze sympathetic. "From now on you just go to study-hall okay Kenny? Unless you feel up to doing gym. If you're not present, I'll know where you'll be."

"T-thanks coach."

The coach nodded and, sure everything was fine, headed back outside. Tala gently turned Kenny's face so he could make sure he was okay, wiping away a few of the tears on his cheeks. "Feeling better now?" He received a timid nod in return, and he bent down and lightly kissed the boys clammy forehead. "Can you get up?"

"N-No..."

Tala nodded to himself and got carefully to his feet, arms around Kenny's waist to help him stand. "Come on, let's get you to the nurse." He sighed, feeling the tension melt out of his body as his brother took a tentative step forward. "Sorry I was late, I thought you were in study-hall, by the time I realised you weren't..."

"It's fine Tala." Kenny mumbled under his breath as they exited the locker-room, a shiver going down his spine. "You've got your own things to do." He heard the redhead snort from beside him.

"Like what? Go out and smoke pot with the stoners? You know that isn't my thing." Tala gave a long stretch, his shredded green and black clinging tightly to his frame and baring his arms, arching his neck from side-to-side, as if trying to make it crack. "Besides, you're my brother, I have to watch out for you don't I?"

"I suppose so..."

"So how'd that exam in English go?" He asked, quickly changing topics and keeping his voice distant and emotionless as a throng of students walked past, several giving him long, appraising looks but carrying on, knowing they stood no chance in hell. "Another A?"

"Yeah."

"You say that like you're not happy about it. Best I ever get is a B, and that's a very lucky day for me."

"Horsecrap." Kenny muttered under his breath, glaring at his brother. "You could get A's, you just don't try."

"...true." Tala smirked at him wickedly, pausing outside the nurse's office. "You want me to come in with you?" Kenny shook his head, smiling, and knocked softly on the door and slipping inside, and Tala turned from the door and walked towards one of the many windows in the hall. He had a clear view of the football field, of the players tackling and tossing the ball to one another, one side with added yellow vests, the others with simply their own uniform on. His eyes almost automatically picked out the Captain who stood beside the coach, the two talking lowly about something or other.

Something Tala had always found strange was that Kai knew when someone was watching him. And like always, the bluenette paused and turned away from the board the coach was furiously scribbling upon, his eyes first searching the field, then moving on to the windows. It didn't take much time for him to spot Tala, and the redhead tightened sharply at the knowing smirk he was sent before the eyes left him to move back to the coach, nodding his head. A shiver rolled down his spine as the smirk that had flashed across Kai's face replayed itself in his mind, eyebrows scrunching into a frown.

Why did that smirk look so much like that of a cat who knew where the mouse hid, and was merely buying time before attacking?


	2. Chapter 1

Pretty When You Cry Chapter 1

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Title – Pretty When You Cry

Chapter – One

Warnings – Language, yaoi, bullying, violence, rape (depending on how you look at it), AU and angst.

Rating – R

Summary – How far would you go would to protect someone you love? What would you be willing to do to keep them safe? And what price would you pay to someone you hate to keep it that way? KaiTala Yaoi!

Author's Note – Here's chapter one, thanks for all the kind reviews :-)

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The first blast of icy water was a welcome relief against his burning body, and Kai tilted his face upwards towards the spray, sighing softly and closing his eyes as he allowed the tiny rivulets to soothe his aching muscles. True, practise only went on for an hour, but damn if he didn't feel every single second of those sixty minutes afterwards. His shoulders were tight, his torso ached, his upper-thighs throbbed painfully, and that wasn't the worst of it. When the tension had melted away every muscle in his body would feel stretched and taut.

But it was worth it. To be feared and revered every day, to have the masses part to allow him through, to feel the sheer adrenaline that pumped wildly through his veins when the crowd screamed and the cheerleaders called and the announcers yelled and proclaimed his every movement upon the field...it was as good as it could be in high school. Social-wise, anyways. He had his choice of lovers amongst his peers, was seen as the most popular teen in the school even though he had few friends, would have been given a free-pass through his studies if he wasn't quite clever enough to get into a good college.

But that's where the second part of his high-school agenda came into play. As well as Captain of the football team, he was also Student Body President. It kept him on the good side of his teachers, who would forgive him walking into class twenty minutes late, or if he slacked off during his lessons. After all, he was the voice of the students, and the ears of the teachers, he was sure to be under a lot of pressure by making sure that the high-school experience of his peers went as smoothly and happily as possible.

If only they knew the real Kai Hiwatari, the one who had accepted both of his positions solely for the power they offered him over his 'peers'. The way he could influence them with nothing more than a look. Draw them to him with nothing other than a word. He controlled everything. Controlled the team, controlled the people who did his homework when he didn't feel like taking the time to do it himself, effectively ruled a whole other school via it's cheerleaders. While Oakwood was an exclusive all-boy school, its teams had cheerleaders from it's parallel all-girl school, Manchester Prep. And through the occasional flirtatious comment and clichéd gift to the head cheerleader, it stayed that way.

Ah, how proud his father would be if he could see him now. Playing politics and winning. It was a shame the bastard had taken a little tumble down the stairs while his mother was conveniently out of the house with her sister professing the fact until she was blue in the face. Then again, Voltaire had professed it as murder until he was blue in the face. Only his mother remained as polite and sweet as ever, smiling and dismissing her father-in-law's arguments with nothing more than a glance. In the end it was ruled accidental.

Kai hadn't truly cared either way, murder or accident. The only world that mattered –namely his- was a better place without Alexander Hiwatari the Fourth breathing down his damn neck every second. He was sure his mother and her lovers felt the same way, but as previously mentioned, it didn't concern him unless the old bag started squandering **his** inheritance. If she was foolish enough to make that mistake...well...she too might take a little tumble down some stairs.

He didn't understand how 'normal' family's worked. They seemed to get along, look out for one another...and dare he say it, love one another. His family was much more simple – his father had been a drunk, his mother was a high-class whore with bad taste in men but good taste in money, his grandfather was...well...Voltaire was Voltaire, and to himself, that was enough said on that matter. That old man was one of a kind, one he'd gladly trade off to someone else.

But look at Tala and his fucked up family. The redhead would have gladly gone up against one jock, then three if the first managed to disarm him, and even if not the whole team should it have come to that. And he hadn't batted an eyelid. Had in fact smiled at the possibility, and all to protect a brother who wasn't even his blood. He knew for a fact their mother was never around, and whenever she was she was too consumed by paperwork to notice her sons much, and Tala had taken that role upon himself.

So why did the blue-eyed teen feel the need to protect his younger adopted brother? They hadn't even been together all that long. Was it simply that sense of 'family' that made him do it? Sighing, he blinked open his eyes, irritably hitting the button on the dispenser that made a slow stream of soap ooze into his waiting palm as he stopped trying to figure out the redhead's motives for protecting the pathetic waste of air that was Kenny. As he began rubbing the thick white liquid across his shoulders, he decided to let his thoughts turn to better things, like figuring out the way to make sure Tala was his by the end of the year.

As Steve had so eloquently put it, Tala had only ever dated once person in high-school, and that had been when he was a freshman and his boyfriend, Bryan Kuznetsov, was a senior. The relationship had lasted the year, until Bryan moved on to college, and the relationship had ended very abruptly. Many people, mostly the girl gossips from Manchester Prep, speculated about what had happened. One story said Tala was unceremoniously dumped for a college freshman, others said Bryan was dropped from Tala's life without a single word being spoken. Few had suggested that it had ended on mutual agreement, and only the conspiracy freaks would dare suggest that the relationship itself had never been real.

But the relationship between the pair was not Kai's concern. He had no intention of wooing the redhead with sweet promises of love and undying devotion. Had no intention of leading Tala on to believe it was anything but sex. But to figure out how to get the blue-eyed teen into the snare, he first had to figure out how close he was to it, and then how to push him closer. Squeezing his eyes closed at the racket of his teammates, and knowing he would never be able to concentrate with the noise they made, decided with a self-satisfied smirk that from here on in, after every training session, they were doing laps.

-

Tala was unexplainably exhausted. As each second passed he could feel his eyelids dropping lower, lower...but then Kenny would stammer in an attempt to start a conversation, and he couldn't repress a fond smile. He could never understand why Kenny would stutter when speaking to him, but more often than not, in the beginning of a talk, he would. He could barely keep his eyes open, even as he joined in the conversation, and thoughts pressured his sub-conscious mind, allowing him to relax but not quite doze off in the warm summer grass.

He didn't have to worry about making it to class, he had officially decided that he and Kenny would ditch, after much prodding, poking and probing of his younger sibling, who had not wanted to miss class. But he had won in the end, as he always did, and there they lay beneath a tree Tala and his 'friends' usually hung out around and in. He could hear the soft sounds of the unofficial football practise coming to an end, the grunts and yells and curses fading even lower on the wind, and suddenly remembered why he had decided to ditch.

Things were getting much too serious with the jocks. Sure, the odd beating had happened before he could stop it, but never before had he heard the jocks threaten to touch his virginal sibling. He did not like that threat, especially since he had no idea whether they'd follow through or not. But he supposed that didn't matter in the end, all that mattered was the threat had been made, and he had to kill that idea before it became too good an idea to them. Too good a way to scar his fragile brother permenantly and make him even more frightened of going to school.

He knew there was only one way to get everything to stop, but the mere thought of doing it made his stomach churn. How the hell could he ask **Kai Hiwatari** for help and not feel sick to his stomach? He knew though. He knew the only one who kept the jocks on a leash was their leader, and he would not do anything about it unless prompted. And even then, prompting would most likely not help, and leave Kai with something to hang over his head. He shivered at the thought and shook his head furiously.

"What you thinking about?" The soft whisper startled him from his musing's and he cracked open an eye, smiling slightly as his heart thumped wildly against his chest.

"Just thinking about some stuff."

"The jocks." Kenny stated knowingly, voice unimpressed. "Tala, just leave it alone, next year they'll be gone for good, and nothing else can happen."

"There will always be new jocks Kenny. Always." 'And I won't be here in two years to protect you from them. And we both know it.' He kept the last part to himself, eyes staring at the jumble of green leaves above him.

"...you could always let me carry a knife." Was the tentative suggestion.

"No!" Tala snapped in response, snapping upright and scowling darkly at the brunette who dropped his eyes. "I told you before Kenny; you never pull a knife unless you know how to use it, and know that you're willing to use it. You don't know how to use it, and what's more you most likely wouldn't use it. It'd be a threat. I've never used mine in a long time because every time I pull it, my opponent backs off. One day one of them won't, and I'll use it again." Gently he caught the brunette's face in his hand, lifting it so he could see his eyes. "Would you? Do you think you could do that?"

Kenny shook his head compliantly. "No."

"No, you couldn't. And it isn't something you can learn to do. It's just like in the army, they train you to kill, but most of the ones who drop out can't kill. I could show you how to use it, but in the end you wouldn't...you just let me handle things, okay? I'll take care of it." 'No matter what I have to do...I'll take care of it.'

"Well, well, well, look what we have here. Forget your way to class, Ivanov?"

Tala's eyes swayed nonchalantly from Kenny to the speaker, smiling. "Hello again Rik. Should I be flattered or disgusted that you seem to be stalking me with your homo homies?" Tala was not a homophobe, it was a well know fact that he was gay. But he knew that there was no other insult as potent to a proud football player infamous for seducing cheerleaders as the insinuation that he was gay. Sure enough, Rik flushed, body tightening as veins began to bulge from the side of his neck. "Did I strike a nerve, Rik? Or did I just tell your friend's that you like to jump out the closet on weekends when no one's paying attention?"

Before Tala knew it he was standing up then off his feet and pressed up against the tree, Rik gripping the front of his shirt roughly, teeth bared, eyes blazing and broad body trembling in rage. "You little bitch." He hissed, slamming him back against the unyielding bark and wood. He was enraged to see the redhead's face remain impassively amused. "I ought to do to you what Bryan never could."

The amusement and nonchalance disappeared in the blink of an eye. The blue eyes narrowed, teeth gritting together as his fists clenched. "You get one warning Rik, back off."

"Or what? Gonna pull your knife again?" Rik responded, smirking as the felt the lean body relax, submitting to his will.

"Your warning has been spoken. One..."

Kai watched the scene, eyes narrowed in slight curiosity, and in slight annoyance. He did not like the way Rik was doing this. Yes, he had instigated this entire scene, knowing where the redhead would retreat to think. And the way Rik had bitched all through practise, complaining about how he wanted to pay Tala back...so yes, he was now making excuses to see him. Rik, however, was breaking the rules.

"...two..."

He glanced from the corner of his eye to find Kenny shaking his head, eyes focused on his folded hands in his lap. He wondered what would happen were he to usher Crusher and Steve in his general direction, and if Tala would make more of an effort to get out of Rik's grasp. The smirk that twitched about the redhead's lips let him know that Rik's time for making decisions was over, and he felt a smirk pull at his own lips.

"...three." Being lifted off his feet, while vaguely uncomfortable, was actually a good thing in this scenario, and Tala knew it. Standing on his own two feet pressed up against a tree his balance and movement would be restricted. Being held in the air by someone twice his build meant he was relatively stable, as long as Rik was. That was why, when his foot arced cleanly and smoothly between Rik's legs, steel-toed boots connecting with soft flesh, Rik all but screamed in pain and dropped Tala onto his feet, falling to his knees.

Moments later Tala had Rik face down in the dirt, one wrist twisted high up behind his back, knee pinned against the larger male's spine, keeping him down and twisting the wrist higher. When Kai made to take a step forward, the blue eyes were immediately locked on him, and he jerked Rik's arm higher, earning a low hiss of pain from the elder. "One step closer and your defence gets a broken-wrist Kai. Your call."

Kai's smirk widened. "I think you'll break it anyway, so why shouldn't I?"

"Because a broken wrist and a dislocated shoulder take longer to heal than just the broken wrist. I consider the wrist itself payment for his insults. Anything else I break is on your conscience."

"And if...oh I don't know...the other twelve of us come at you?"

Tala smiled at that. "Then as well as him having a broken wrist, you're going to have a few **deep** scratches."

Kai's eyes flickered at the challenge, and as he went to take a step forward, another voice broke in.

"Tala...let him go..."

Icy blue eyes held Kai's for a moment longer, then turned to Kenny. For several moments, there seemed to be some silent argument passing between the two brothers, and then the grip on Rik's wrist loosened, then let go altogether as Tala nodded and straightened up, turning to face Kenny. "Fine. You go, I'll catch up in a minute." He replied cheerily. As Rik went to get to his feet, Tala kicked him swiftly in the side, knocking the air from his lungs and making him drop back to his stomach, wincing. Blue eyes never left crimson. "We'll be talking soon Kai." He informed before turning in the direction Kenny had gone.

Kai's voice caught him by surprise, but he didn't stop and didn't turn back, continuing to follow his brother. "I'm counting on it."


	3. Chapter 2

Pretty When You Cry Chapter 2

.0.

"I'm thinking of keeping your brother home from school today Tala." His mother called from the front room, brushing back some errant bangs to meet the confused gaze of her eldest as he took a swig of orange juice from the carton. "How many times have I asked you not to do that?" She sighed.

"I'm saving water for the poor African babies by not using dishes, mom." He replied with a grin, before it fell quickly into a frown as he replaced the cap and rewound his mother's first statement. "Why do you want to keep Kenny home? Is he sick?"

"I don't know, but he seemed upset when he got home last night and…is everything fine for him at school?"

Tala didn't want to lie to his mother, but telling her that Kenny was being bullied every day and it was making him sicker would be the greater of the two evils, and so he forced himself to seem thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head. "I haven't seen anything wrong. I mean he's doing great on his tests and stuff right?"

"Right, but what I mean is…well…does he have friends?"

"Sure, he has a few kids he hangs out with, but usually he hangs out with me and Rei and my friends. Is there something wrong mom?"

"Tala." She whispered sadly, dropping into one of the cheap rickety chairs in the kitchen, propping her elbows on the table and resting her head in her hands. "You would tell me, wouldn't you? If you thought someone was picking on him?" She lifted her face to meet his eyes, and the tears in her identical blue pair stabbed him with guilt.

"Of course I would mom, but you know I look out for him. If someone was bullying him they wouldn't get the chance to do it twice." He soothed, talking a seat on the table beside her and clasping one of her trembling hands in his. "I promise, he's fine."

"Oh Tala…I just worry. He doesn't seem as happy as he used to be…I know boys grow up differently from girls but, well I just wish he would talk to me. I know I'm not here enough for you guys-"

"Mom don't." Tala pleaded, squeezing his eyes closed as he prepared to hear this speech for the fifth time this week. "We know you have to work, we understand, and we don't blame you. You're doing what you have to do. Besides, we're fine."

"I just wish I had more time with you guys and that you could talk to me is all." She gave a shaky smile, reaching out with her free hand to touch her son's cheek fondly. "You know, when your father died, I didn't know how I was going to cope, especially after we had to take Kenny in…but somehow, we managed. I think it was because of you. You took care of him when I couldn't…thank you Tala."

Tala nodded slightly, the guilt churning in his gut. He had been thinking for the past two days on how he could protect Kenny from the jocks, but all his planning always led him in one direction, and that was not a direction he had been willing to accept. Now, he realized that he might have to. "I'll look after him mom, I promise."

Smiling, she stood up, straightening her skirt as she rubbed his cheek with her fingers. "Go ask your brother if he wants to go to school today. If he says no, don't force him."

"Can I take the day off?" He joked, earning a chuckle from his mother as she shook her head. "I'll see you after work mom."

"See you after work hon, I took some food out for you guys for after school, it's in the stove. Just-"

"I'll manage mom, have a good day at work." He waved her away towards the door and got to his feet, squeezing between the counter and one of the chairs before turning and heading upstairs. "Kenny? You awake?"

The small brunette stepped out of his bedroom, already dressed for school and smiled slightly. "Is mom gone?"

"Yeh, planning on sneaking into school even though she told you to stay home huh? You rebel." Seeing his brother blush slightly and shrug, Tala became serious. "Look, I know you probably want to go to school, but would you take the day off for me? I'll hit up a few people in your classes and get the days notes for you, but I'd appreciate it if you stayed home today."

"I have gym today." Kenny noted, watching his brother nod. "You're worried about the jocks."

"I'm going to take care of it today, alright? But it'll be easier for me to do if you're not there, and they can't threaten you. It'll help me keep my game. Can you do that for me Kenny? Just stay here and relax."

Hesitantly, Kenny nodded. "Okay, I'll stay here…I can go tomorrow right?"

"Of course. Tomorrow there isn't going to be anything to bother you."

.0.

"I won't be home tonight, make sure you eat something healthy. You need to drop a pound or two to make your weight check."

Sitting on the patio out back, these were the only words he heard from Charlotte Hiwatari before she flounced from the house clad in a dress so indecently short a seasoned street-walker wouldn't even touch it. "Bye mother." He muttered under his breath, continuing to read the morning paper as he drank a cup of coffee. It was a habit that neither his mother or the coach approved of, but it was one habit he would never break.

The accidents and tragedies of the news never interested him; he read only the financial pages –a ritual picked up from his Grandfather- and the sports page. From what he could discern from the general ass-kissery on the part of the writer, it seemed Chesterfield had won the entrance game, and now would be facing Oakwood in the quarter finals. That was all well and good, except that Chesterfield had one of the best linebackers in the city and that while Oakwood's offensive could not be beat, they lacked on the defensive. He would have to start toughening up on the defensive players, maybe even switch a player or two with one of the freshmen defenders.

On the other end of the spectrum, the other quarter-finalists were Abbey Park and Glen Ridge, and Kai had a bet going with the coach that Glen Ridge would wipe the floor with Abbey Park. But until the time when one surpassed the other, he had to plan around the skills and weaknesses of both. He glanced at his watch and wondered if the coach had already scanned the paper to see who they would be facing, and if the answer had driven him to his fifth cigarette of the early morning. He nodded slightly to himself as the glass door behind him slid open with a gentle hiss. "Your whore of a mother is out again, I see."

Not turning to face the old man who now stood in the doorway, Kai nodded once more and with deliberate fastidiousness folded the paper in half and laid it on the table, knowing that Voltaire hated it when anyone creased even a single page. A satisfied smirk curled his lips as he finally turned around in his chair to see the throb of a vein at the side of the elder's temple and a muscle in his cheek spasm. "Indeed, she just left. By the looks of her I'd say she's going to meet a friend or two…or three. Does her sexual prowess concern you, Grandfather?"

Voltaire snorted and stepped out onto the deck, his eyes moving away from his grandson to stare balefully at a thread of thorns escaping from the rose bush and across the deck. He would have to see that the gardener started doing his job more proficiently. The steel gaze flicked to the glass dining table, first examining it for dirt, then the contents atop it. With the same careful deliberateness his grandson had taken in folding the paper, he studiously ignored it. "The only thing that concerns me is that she's taking too long to die. And you, you better meet the weight requirement. What is it, five over?"

Watching Voltaire go back inside the house and letting out a sigh, Kai settled back into his chair and shook his head. "Welcome to my world, this whole damn family is taking too long to die. And it's five under you jackass." Both his mother and grandfather had only been to Oakwood to review how he was doing that semester a week ago, and yet already they had forgotten literally everything that had been said. The fact they had not cared enough to remember did not concern Kai.

Rising to his feet and quickly swallowing down the rest of his coffee he followed his grandfather inside to prepare for the coming day. He had much to do, and the sooner he could get the business part done, the sooner he could get to Tala.

.0.

As if practising once a day wasn't bad enough, at the end of every school day Kai had another dose to make sure his body ached painfully for several hours afterwards. But they were the best in the city, perhaps the whole country, and therefore the gruelling training regimes, horrid diets and the annoyingly random drug tests were all worth it. He watched the other boys run through their plays as he and the coach shared opinions and strategies, noted problems and tried to correct them. When the coach finally finished his own mumblings, the bluenette offered his own opinion on the current state of affairs.

"Honestly, we need fresh blood. The problem isn't our offense, it's our defense. We could train them to be better, but that'll only cause hard feelings and…" Kai paused, narrowing his eyes as he saw the offensive side score once more as the defense players failed to block the play. If this was Chesterfield, the game would be pretty much lost by this point. "Look at them, they have no motivation! This game is critical for us, we have to win this, otherwise most of them can kiss their scholarships goodbye. If we replace the weakest of them with one of the freshmen, it'll make the others realize they are expendable, and they'll work harder."

"And the freshman?" The coach mused, folding his beefy arms across his chest as he stared at the young bluenette before him, unable to help admiring his leadership capabilities.

"He'll be new, vulnerable. He'll want to excel, he'll want to succeed, and if we tell him it's on a trial basis, he'll put even more effort into surpassing our expectations. I have a list here," at this point Kai removed a folded sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to the coach, "of several suitable candidates for the position."

"Who will we substitute?"

Kai pretended to be thoughtful, then shrugged. "I haven't decided yet, but I have a few names in my head. I just have to check up on a few things first." The coach nodded and excused himself to get around to doing some of the required paperwork he had been falling behind on, and Kai nodded and watched the coach go. He shook his hair from his eyes, and his attention wavered from the team as he saw the shadows at the entrance to the locker-rooms stir, and his train-of-thought flew off the tracks as he recognised the shape as Tala. His smirk widened as the redhead inclined his head backwards, obviously realising he had Kai's undivided attention, and he slipped out of sight and into the showers. Quickly Kai turned his gaze back to the now retreating team and called out, "Laps."

They turned to him, some weary with exhaustion, others spinning around so fast he was sure they'd slip on the slick pitch, eyes wide or narrowed in their disbelief. "What? Why? We don't need to do laps!" The questions and excuses began pouring in, and he let them babble for a moment before lifting his hand, silencing them instantly.

"We are facing Chesterfield next week for the state championship. On top of that there'll be scouts at the game. I want everyone in prime condition. Thirty laps around the field..." He glanced impatiently towards the locker-room, "there is no time-limit, so you can take your time. Coach wants to meet with me to go over some plays, so I'll probably see you tomorrow."

There were grumbled protests, as always, but obediently the team slowly made their way back towards the pitch. Kai remained where he was, though he wanted to turn and hurry towards the locker-room, watching as they made one lap, then two. He decided he'd wait until they'd done their third before leaving, and his fists clenched in annoyance at their slowed pace. However he'd said no time limit, and he supposed the slower they ran, the longer he'd be alone with Tala.

Impatient, he left the pitch before they'd even got half-way round the field on their second lap.

.0.

Tala paced agitatedly back and forth, throwing words back and forth in his mind, trying to think of an appropriate way to ask for Kai's help without actually asking for it. He also thought about what the bluenette would desire in return, and no matter how long he spent thinking it through, he could not pinpoint anything the senior would want from him. Maybe he could, but there were some thoughts he would just not focus on. Could not focus on, otherwise he might leave, and he couldn't leave. He needed to know Kenny was safe. He would have to keep his cool and be very careful about which cards he exposed to the sadistic bluenette. Exposing too much would show his desperation, showing too little would show indifference, and perhaps give Kai a reason to act upon the previously unfulfilled threats.

Gritting his teeth, he kicked at one of the shower-stalls, stuffing his trembling hands into his pockets. He had to stay calm. Had to stay calm and cool and collected. Taking a deep breath, he leant back against the stall and tried to remain calm as he cast a glance around the room. An aisle in the middle that led from the changing room directly onto the field separating the two rows of twenty-four stalls –twelve along each wall- into quarters. There was pretty much no place he could run, should there be a need to, and in the confined space, he knew Kai had the upper hand. Kai was strong, Tala knew that. He had seen the bluenette working out in gym, and he had also seen him break up fights between much taller, broader opponents. If Kai could get him cornered, he'd be fucked.

He leant to the side to see where the bluenette was, and felt his stomach tighten as he noticed that the older male had barely reached the middle of the pitch, sauntering towards the showers with his hands clasped behind his neck and his eyes raised slightly to the sky. What the hell was taking him so long? He'd been standing outside the door for a few minutes before Kai had noticed him, but as soon as the crimson eyes had picked him out from the shadows, he had begun to approach.

Tala shook his head and began to pace the length of the row, wondering if he should be relieved that he had more time to plan. He hadn't wanted to think about what he was going to do the whole time he had walked to school, and he had forced himself to do some work to keep him distracted in class as he waited for the hours to tick by until it was time for the jocks to get ready for after-school practice. He had balked and instead gone outside, rerunning the plan through his head as he chain-smoked, and had finally gathered the courage to return before practice ended. He was grateful none of the others were here to see this…

…but what if they arrived by the time it took Kai to shamble his slow ass over? Then Kai could easily just give an order and have them restrain him and then…he didn't want to think about it. Not about his clothing being torn from his body. Not about the hands at his wrists and ankles, holding him against the icy tiles. Not about Kai's hands exploring him, while other greedy eyes watched in silent encouragement…verbal encouragement. It didn't matter. None of them would stop the bluenette, not even if Tala bled or screamed, instead they'd stuff a towel in his mouth and deliver a few hits to his kidneys or ribs to shut him up, and all the while Kai would be thrusting, thrusting, thrusting…

He tasted blood on his tongue and released his lip, wiping a hand hurriedly across the sore spot as he took a deep breath. He had his knife. Of course he did, he always had it, never left it at home no matter where he went. Never know when you might need it, Bryan had always said as he had pressed the warm steel into his hand. But what earthly good could the knife do? Sure, he might hurt Kai, might kill any number of jocks, but then what? He'd be arrested and thrown in prison, probably to meet a similar fate to the one he had just imagined, and Kenny would be alone, with any left-over jocks and years later, their replacements.

No, the knife would do no good, only worse. But he refused to take it out of his pocket and leave it somewhere safe. Instead he found himself fingering the small slit where the steel would pop-out, and the reassuring dent was soothing to his frayed nerves. If he truly needed it, the blade would be there…not like Bryan. Not like right now. He shoved the lilac haired male from his head. Bryan was the last thing he needed to think about right now. Now he had to focus on Kai, and keeping Kenny safe.

Kai would go for it, Tala knew that. He had seen the way the scarlet eyes would watch him, almost as if they were peeling away his clothes to see what was underneath and approving of what he saw…what if he didn't approve –if he saw anything- and decided it wasn't worth helping his brother? What would he do then? Skulk from the room, humiliated and rejected like so many others, and explain to his brother that he had failed to protect him? How would he face the embarrassment of going to school every day knowing that Kai had shot him down? Abruptly he snapped around and slammed his fist against the wall once, twice, three times, and he jerked his hand back with a wince. Calm, calm, calm.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but it felt like an eternity, and he was growing impatient in his nervousness. He turned towards the door, about to go see where the bluenette was, only to find him standing a foot in front of him, arms folded across his chest and smirking. "You took your time." Tala growled, trying to cover his fright.

A strong shoulder lifted slightly before falling in the bluenette's interpretation of a shrug. "I'm here now. The question is, what are **you** doing here?" Kai's head tilted to the side, and his smirk widened a fraction. "To watch me practice? This is the second time I've caught you now." The bluenette entered the shower-room with the same confidence a shark does when its body is alight with electrical sensitivity and swimming in the direction of some unsuspecting seal. He figured Kai could easily match the shark's cold-bloodedness and was equally –if not more- dangerous. At this point in time, Tala recognized he'd rather be bleeding like a stuck pig, thrashing like a drowning man and stuck in a tank with a dozen great whites – he would certainly be safer than he was at the moment! Hell, now that he thought about it, he realized that that analogy pretty much summed up their current scenario perfectly.

Except, for the moment, Kai was hunting alone.

He somehow managed to keep his voice calm and sarcastic as he replied, "Oh yes, it's a favoured pastime of mine to watch other guys attempt to prove their masculinity, establish their alpha-male status and at the same time revel in their repressed homosexuality by rolling around in the dirt with one another for a ball."

Kai took a step forward, closing the distance between them, the proximity of his body forcing Tala further back against the stall, and his hands quickly grabbed the wrists that had began rising to try and push him off and forced them to the svelte teens sides, easing his body against the other, which tried to force itself further into the wall, crimson eyes flashing predatorily as he effectively trapped his prey. "You must have wanted to see me Tala, your presence here proves it. The fact you're not trying to escape right now let's me know you have something to say. While I do enjoy watching you, I think it best you say whatever it is you came here to say. My restraint knows bounds, and we are alone."

Tala turned his face away to stare at the wall of one of the nearby stalls. Scratched into the porous blue plastic was the moniker 'Don't hate me because I'm talented, hate me because I fucked your mom.' He found himself wondering which one of the jocks had taken the time to carve that…until he feet teeth nip gently at his neck. Against his will his body went rigid and a snarl rumbled out from his throat. "Take your fucking hands off me Hiwatari!"

"That's better. You seemed to be somewhere else. But for the time being I don't think I'll let you go, you seem rather on-edge right now. Now, as I was saying, you have something you wish to discuss with me?"

"If I didn't have something to say you to Hiwatari you wouldn't be standing there with that pompous little smirk on your face…as a matter of fact I daresay you'd be cowering on the floor in a position smiliar to the one your lesser teammate was so kind to demonstrate for us a few days ago." The cyan depths flashed threateningly as Kai leant in closer, breath lightly stirring crimson bangs as his smirk widened.

"Rik was a fool for letting his guard down. I, however, am not so foolish, and as a result the only one who would be left cowering on the floor should my self-restraint fail...is you..." One hand left the lean wrist experimentally releasing one of the slender wrists as his body tightened in anticipation of attack. Though the fingers clenched into a tight fist the hand did nothing, remaining compliantly by the blue-eyed teen's waist.

But that proved nothing.

He allowed his now free hand to reach up and lightly caress a smooth cheek, and Kai felt the nerves in his fingertips spark pleasantly at the soft skin that greeted his senses, and he chuckled as the fair face of the younger Russian turned away from him. The willowy body bristled at the caress, but Tala made no attempt to move. He was uncomfortable...but he was not resisting. Kai was intrigued. "Now, what would you like to discuss with me?"

Ravenous crimson eyes swept down the slender form as he drew his body away, still restraining the redhead and forcing him to remain against the wall, but allowing himself to see the statuesque physique of the lithe teen before him. Today he seemed to be dressed more casually, wearing a simple white shirt open over a black tank top, a pair of low-riding hip-hugging black jeans that acted as a second skin in their tightness. None of the usual chains or ragged tears or outspoken statements, Kai had never seen him dress like such a normal boy of his age…and this roused the bluenette's curiosity to no end.

The response was brisk, to the point, and Kai couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head. "Kenny."

"What about him?" Kai enquired courteously, stroking the redhead's jaw as he kept his eyes locked on the defiant blue pair, testing to see how far he could push him.

Tala ground his teeth, clenching and unclenching his fists as he tried to remain calm. He tried his hardest not to let the touches bother him, but he couldn't help it. They were so persistent, invading, but he couldn't slap them away. Not this time. Not when he needed the bluenette…if he refused to help… "You know what." The invading hand travelled further, teasing the side of his neck and sending a shiver coursing through his body.

"Do I? By the way, I didn't see him on the field with the others during gym – they were playing football today." A malicious smirk curved the bluenette's lips, and Tala was sure to those not in the position he was in now, it would be defined as handsome. For him, it looked simply evil. "Am I to assume he was playing truant? Perhaps I should report it to the headmaster…you know it's my duty as Student Body President to try and put an end to truancy."

"Go right ahead." Tala agreed with a stiff smile, his teeth gritted and his blood thundering in his ears. How could Kai provoke him to anger this quickly, this easily? "He'll be bringing a note in tomorrow morning, Mein Kommandant."

"Ah, a vague WWII reference, I was wondering when you'd start acting like your normal self. I hope Rik, Crusher and Steve were not to blame for his absence…" Kai grinned wickedly and eased his body back as he repressed a chuckle. It appeared the lithe redhead was willing to walk into the snare of his own volation.

"Cut the bullshit Hiwatari." He finally snapped, his patience gone and his nerves frayed. The bluenette was making a joke of the whole thing, as if the only real people involved…well, Tala doubted his own reality in the calculating crimson eyes, and he concluded that as far as Kai was concerned, the only real person involved in the situation was him. Everyone else was simply a toy, a tool to use to achieve his goals. Didn't he even realize how this was affecting his brother? Would he even care? "You know why I'm here. No more games."

The small smirk that had previously adorned Kai's features fell into a nonchalant mask. "If I knew why you were here I wouldn't have asked. I admit I have some vague idea of what it is…you want me to arrange for Kenny to be left about his business." A brisk nod of confirmation. "I don't see why I should." He admitted, realizing the redhead had just stopped outside the very rim of the trap, so close to stepping inside. He just needed one…tiny…push…

"What about all that crap about your duty as Student Body President? I'm sure one of the requirements is to eliminate bullying as well as sexual harassment and truancy."

"I'll get around to that next year." Kai promised with the flash of a smug smirk.

"You won't be here next year."

"I know, but by that point it won't be my concern. Besides, how could I help you with Kenny? I cannot teach him how to defend himself, how to become less of a target…I certainly can't make the others accept him." Here, Kai finally allowed the smirk to blossom, delighting in the barely restrained rage that made Tala's slim form tremble. "I can't control human nature, Tala. And Darwin's Law will **always** prevail." He stepped close to the redhead once more, not bothering to seal the younger male into a corner, knowing that he was already in one and could not leave. Not yet. Not while he still held his step-brother's safety in his hands.

"Do you have some sort of fucking superiority-complex or something? You **know **you have the power to make them leave him alone, Hell you could make them jump through hoops if you wanted to badly enough."

"You know, you're right. I probably could if I wanted to. But what I can do to them, or make them do, has no bearing on this conversation. Perhaps you should wonder what I will do to Kenny the next time you aren't there to protect him…he isn't as pretty as you, mind, but I'm sure I have a good enough imagination to see you instead of him."

"If you touch him," Tala growled, his eyes narrowing in a piercing glare, "I swear to Christ that's the last thing you will **ever** do."

"It may be the last thing I ever do, but it will be the most emotionally and physically damaging event of his life. And he'll never forget it. I'll be with him every day until he dies…you don't want that, do you?" He didn't give the redhead a chance to respond, fingers rising to absently toy with a bang of baby fine hair. "Of course you don't. You wouldn't be here if you didn't want to stop that from happening."

"Cut the bullshit." Tala whispered, dropping his eyes as he tried to repress the shivers that were now wracking his lithe frame as images swirled in his head of Kenny, of Hiwatari, of what he'd do to him… "We both know you can stop them."

"Of course we do. You are a lot of things, but stupid is not one of them…the question is…" He tugged teasingly on the bang of hair as his free hand captured Tala's chin, tilting his face up, forcing the blue eyes to meet his. He had waited far too long to miss seeing those beautifully defiant eyes dim, to be tamed. His body molded against the leaner one of its own accord, pressing him back against the stall once more, pinning him in place, "…how far will you be willing to go? How much will you pay for your brother's safety?"

Tala could not move away, the grip Kai had on his face was gentle, but it was by no means weak. He couldn't stand staring into those smug crimson eyes as they swirled with dark pleasure at his perceived victory, and with no other option available to him he allowed his eyelids to flutter shut, his body going lax against the sturdy stall behind him. "I thought we agreed no more bullshit. You have a price in mind Hiwatari, I know it. You will accept nothing less than that price. So tell me what it is."

The room was silent, the earth was gone. They were the only two people left in their little world of stalls and tiles. It seemed an eternity before Kai finally replied, forcing himself to stay patient just a little longer, to savor his victory as he chuckled. "Now who's playing games? You cannot honestly expect me to believe that you don't know…" He shook his head pityingly as he ceased his petting and allowed a hand to slide down the front of the boys black tank-top, feeling the firm yet understated definition of the younger teens body beneath his palm. Reaching its destination, his fingers began to toy with the belt looped around the lean hips. With one hand holding the redhead's face still there was nothing he could do when Kai's fingers curled quickly into the waistband of his jeans and yanked their bodies together, lips descending quickly atop Tala's and smothering any protest that had been forming in his throat as the blue eyes snapped open.

Tala shoved at the bluenette's chest, trying to turn his face away, and he grunted softly when the older boy slammed him back against the wall. The small gasp of shock appeared to be all the invitation Kai needed for mere seconds later his mouth was invaded by a foreign tongue that hungrily tried to map everything it could reach in quick, possessive flicks. He didn't dare bite down, no matter how badly the impulse throbbed inside him, urging him constantly to do so. Instead, his fear prevailed, and he tipped his head to the side, allowing his tongue to dart lightly across the bluenette's. He felt the broader body start ever so slightly at this, and the kiss rose another notch in its ferocity, and he felt his lips tingle and bruise under the demanding force of the others lips. An unhealthy amount of air was squeezed from his lungs when Kai forced him back against the stall once more, this time a little harder.

He took this subtle hint to mean the Senior had enjoyed his participation, and wanted more of it. His stomach churned violently, but he didn't swallow. If he did he had the distinct feeling Kai's tongue would wind up in his stomach. While his insides tossed and turned, his tongue coiled with well-practised ease around the bluenette's, drawing it into his mouth. The fingers curled into the waistband of his pants tightened their grip and yanked him closer, and somewhere in the background he heard Kai growl lowly in satisfaction when he closed his lips around the supple muscle in his mouth and slowly, almost teasingly, began to suck on it.

There had been many times in his life Tala had wished he had been born a girl. He did not try to hide the fact he was attracted to members of the same sex, as so many of his peers did, but he had been in this position before, and he could feel the unique and unmistakeable hardness pressing against him as the crimson-eyed male ground their hips together. If he had been female, this would have been no problem, but he was not. The friction of his jeans, the insistence of the thrust, the arousal that was beginning to heat his blood and scald his skin...it was causing a familiar reaction women did not have.

Sure enough, feeling his arousal, Kai used a knee to knock his legs further apart, moulding his body to rest almost uncomfortably between the redhead's thighs, and thrust once more. A strangled sound escaped his throat and his hips bucked towards the source of the pleasure, who drew back from the kiss, chuckling softly to himself. "Such an eloquent tongue, so persuasive..." A finger brushed across his bruising lips, not quite lovingly but with the same fondness an artist might feel towards their masterpiece when they had drawn their first outline and discovered it flawless, "I can think of better uses for it though."

Tala growled in irritation, and it grew louder when he felt his cheeks tingling with a blush he could not suppress. "Let's just get this over with." He responded dourly.

"You know." Kai murmured thoughtfully. "If I accept this arrangement, I expect to meet no resistance whatsoever from you Tala. I will not have it said I **forced** you into doing something against your will."

Tala wanted to point out that he was doing this against his will, regardless of whether he fought or not. He decided to keep those thoughts to himself, they would do him no favors with the bluenette whose mercy he was about to throw himself before. He nodded, slowly, in acceptance. "You will have my compliance to do as you wish, nothing less and nothing more." He stated flatly.

"Very well, you have yourself a deal. Shall we finalize it?" He repressed a laugh as he felt the redhead bristle against him, and allowed his head to fall to nip playfully at the flawless ivory skin of the boy's throat.

"What do you have in mind?" He managed to grind out between gritted teeth, focusing his eyes on the graffiti on the stall, forcing himself to relax, not to strike out, to stay calm and cold.

"I have yet to shower...I think that will be one of my top priorities at the moment." Kai mused to himself, turning and disappearing into the changing rooms, leaving Tala alone with his thoughts and disgust. His brain mocked him, asking how he could stoop so low as do to this…and another, softer voice coaxed him to flee. To simply run from the shower-room and across the pitch and away from all this madness. Let things return to the way they were, make more of an effort to stop them. But another voice, an angry voice, screamed at him for his mental betrayal, calling him a coward and reminding him that the deal had been made, how far would Kai go to hurt his brother if he broke it?

And so he simply stood there, staring at the graffiti for a moment longer, before removing the blade from his pocket and replying to the smug statement some other had wrote. 'Go home dad, you're drunk.' Beside that, he quickly began to carve a new message, casting his eyes over his shoulder every once in a while to make sure the bluenette had not returned…he could be damn quiet when he chose, Tala had realized. He was surprised how quickly and easily his knife had written the words and he tucked the blade away and put it back in his pocket, taking a deep breath to read over the words.

"Since writing on locker-room walls is done neither for critical acclaim, nor financial rewards, it is the purest form of art? Discuss." The words, echoing his thoughts, caused Tala to start and he snapped around to find Kai standing directly behind him, apparently having been reading the words aloud over his shoulder. A smirk had curled one corner of his mouth up deviously, and after a moment he stepped back and proceeded to one of the corner stalls. Tala was unsure whether or not he was supposed to follow, but a minute passed, and the shower was not turned on. He figured this meant Kai was waiting for him. Closing his eyes, he tried to picture Kenny in here almost a week previously, shivering and shaking, weeping and near-vomiting, a fragile thing on the verge of being broken.

It was this image that gave him the nerves and the strength to move his feet, shuffling silently towards the end of the line.

"You took your time." Kai remarked offhandedly, not bothering to turn and face the younger teen as he turned on the shower. Tala noticed that the broader boy's muscles tightened almost immediately after the water hit him, and as some of the spray deflected from the bluenette and onto him, he realized why. The water was fucking **freezing**! He remained standing there behind Kai for several moments, letting his eyes examine the physique that had sent so many girls swooning before he would leave them, heartbroken and crying, cutting themselves to bleed out the pain of his rejections.

He could see why. There was not an inch of the older teen's body that did not seem taut and toned, yet neither was it the overdone muscle many football players seemed to have. Look at Crusher or Rik, for example. Every inch of them seemed an explosion of mass and tendon…Tala found it repulsive. It was just too much. But Kai seemed proportioned, balanced. His shoulders were broad, but not overly so, and he could see that he had been mistaken in thinking it had been the shoulder pads of his uniform that had given him that appearance. His torso tapered to a slim waist and Tala had to look away as he felt a blush burn his cheeks as he remembered the problem that strained in his pants.

But he had caught a glimpse of the firm rear and he was unable to deny that, from what he had seen thus far, Kai was a desirable male. But at the same time, he felt a sting within his chest as his mind automatically compared it to the only other he had allowed near him and the latter was found wanting compared to the conniving bluenette before him. Suddenly Kai turned to face him, his hair soaked and now falling around his face, amused crimson eyes partially obscured by slate bangs as he cocked his head to the side. "You may regret not getting undressed." He pointed out, unable to resist smirking as he saw the blush that painted the younger boys cheeks.

"…well?" He asked after a long moment of silence. "What did you want from me?"

Kai said nothing, instead lifting a hand and crooking his finger at the redhead, coaxing him forward and into the spray. He could see the other teen's hesitation and repressed the urge simply to grab him and drag him under the water before ravaging him mercilessly. It was too soon for that. He had waited far too long to rush the sampling of the fruit now that it had fallen from the tree, no one would fault him for drawing out his conquest a little longer.

"I'll get wet. Besides, the water is cold."

"Not anymore it isn't. I thought you agreed not to resist me?"

Biting back a growl of frustration, Tala moved inside the stall. He was surprised that the bluenette had been correct, that the water was no longer icily cold, but he also began to wonder how he would be able to leave the area in soaking wet clothes…best to worry about that later, when Kai was gone. He had to focus on whatever the bluenette had in store for him. He licked his lips nervously as he stopped in front of the older boy and looked up to meet the hungry eyes that travelled up and down his soaked clothes. He shifted in discomfort and mild embarrassment as he saw the crimson irises halt for many a long second at the bulge in his pants, a smirk curling his lips. When Kai reached out and pushed the shirt off his shoulders, he shivered uneasily, throwing his eyes to the floor.

The hands gently skimmed down his arms as he felt the shirt falling down past his hands to flop onto the floor with a gentle splash. One hand moved to his chest, brushing across exposed and hidden skin without bias, seemingly content simply with touch, and the other lifted to his cheek. The exploratory hand came to a stop against his hip, and he was suddenly jerked forward, his body pressing against the naked body of the broader boy, and he bit back a startled sound as his eyes shot up to meet Kai's. This seemed to be exactly where the bluenette wanted him to be as his head dipped low, and Tala felt the brief press of lips against his before he jerked his head away, turning to look at the knob that controlled the shower.

He let out a shocked gasp at the soft growl he received from the bluenette before his body was slammed back against the unforgiving tile, and for a second he found he was unable to breathe. But then his brain seemed to kick in and restart his lungs, and he swallowed in a lungful of air gratefully. The hand upon his face tightened and forced him to face Kai once more, and he saw the crimson-eyed male leaning in for another kiss. "No." He hissed firmly.

"No, what?" Kai hissed back, his eyes narrowing and his fingers digging in to the tender flesh of his cheeks, causing him to wince.

"You can do anything else, but you will **not** kiss me again."

"That's rather backwards, Tala. Normally girls want nothing but kissing."

"I am not a girl; I thought that much was obvious." The redhead deadpanned. "Why is it such a big deal? Do you want to kiss me that badly?"

The taunt seemed to end the debate, for instead of replying Kai simply shrugged. The grip on his face relaxed, and the hand moved away to rest lightly on his shoulder before Tala felt himself being pushed to his knees. "I was simply trying to break you in gently. However if this is the way my generosity is going to be mocked, open your mouth."

For the umpteenth time Tala felt a blush rise to his cheeks, burning him with humiliation at the way Kai had just spoken to him, but he knew that this was better than the alternative. At least this way, he could hate the bluenette instead of falling for the gentle touches and soft kisses as so many others had before finding out that it had been nothing but sex. With the humiliation came the ability to keep his mind in check. He felt a sliver of fear blossoming within his chest as he knelt eye-to-eye with the bluenette's aroused member and closing his eyes; he took a final deep breath and sealed the deal.

He took the tip gently between his lips, hesitating for a moment as his mind tried to find a way to proceed, then slowly took more of the hard flesh inside his mouth. It felt different than he would expect, not entirely unpleasant though a certain uneasy feeling had begun forming in his stomach as he registered that at any moment, he might find himself unable to breathe. Having examined his own aroused member, he was surprised at how smooth it felt in his mouth as opposed to the veiny bulging monstrosity he had always expected. He had never done this with Bryan, despite the older boy's requests, and he suddenly wished he had not been as frightened.

He felt a hand slide into his hair, now wet and drooping from its normal style, and he heard Kai let out a low annoyed growl. "Get on with it." He urged impatiently. He felt the fingers tighten their hold as he pulled away from the hardened flesh that seemed to strain to reach him, and he swallowed back his nervousness and tried to sound angry, which was hard to do whilst on his knees.

"I haven't done this before." He snapped back, sounding more indignant and embarrassed than the angered fury he had tried to portray.

"I figured as much." Kai remarked. "Would you prefer I teach you physically or verbally?"

"Physically?" Tala repeated, confusion contorting his features into a frown as he tried to determine what the bluenette meant. Was Kai offering to give him head? A sharp tug on his hair brought his face closer to Kai's groin and he understood. But now to choose – the smug bastard instructing him in that haughty all-knowing voice as he degraded himself, or the other boy mercilessly using his mouth as he struggled to breathe and fight back gags? He had seen enough porn to know what would happen when physically controlled, so he opted for the latter.

"It's simple, really. Just take it into your mouth, provide lots of friction, use your hand…oh, and remember to use your tongue." His mouth was guided back in front of the bluenette's crotch and left there, uncontrolled as the other waited for him to act. Unbeknownst to Tala, as he quickly swept his tongue across his lips once more, a ball of heat shot through Kai and the older boy had to restrain himself from simply forcing his cock into the redheads mouth and taking his pleasure as he saw fit. No, Kai thought to himself as he forced himself to wait. Let this be a learning experience for Tala, so that he might remember what to do in future.

A tentative tongue darted out and licked lightly at the tip, causing Kai to grit his teeth. As slow as the redhead was moving, as inexperienced and nervous as he had turned out to be, Kai couldn't believe the rush of victory that pulsed throughout his body with every beat of his heart. Perhaps the boys innocence made the victory all the sweeter, Kai wasn't exactly sure, all he knew was that he had never been as aroused as he was now, with the sweet little redhead on his knees before him, all his defiance and strength stripped away, leaving him vulnerable and at his mercy. The physical pleasure of feeling the youth's mouth upon him was simply a bonus, the cherry upon the cake. "Just like that." He murmured, allowing his hand to slide further back on the younger boys head, urging him to continue.

Tala felt the head push between his lips and opened his mouth on instinct, knowing without being told that Kai would not be amused were he to feel teeth roughly scrape the entire length of his member. Closing his eyes and breathing through his nose, Tala slowly moved his head forward, experimenting to see how much he would be able to comfortably take, and then withdrawing. He started when he felt the hand tighten in his hair as Kai pushed himself back into his mouth and set up a rhythm. It was rather slow, and Tala wondered if that was because Kai preferred it slow, or if he was being considerate towards Tala's inexperience. A surge of indignant anger raced through him, that Kai was 'breaking him in' and with a mental frown he picked up the pace. He'd show that bastard what he could do with his consideration and his pity.

Kai, on the other hand, made no complaints when he felt the redhead speed up, forcing his eyes to remain open so he could watch the redhead bob his head back and forth on his arousal. "Use your hand." He reminded, his voice raw with pleasure as he felt slender fingers snake around the base of his arousal and begin to stroke. He waited for several moments, then grew impatient, "Synchronize, Tala. This is not how it's done." It took a few more tries before the redhead got it right, and Kai let his free hand rest on the wall behind the slender teen.

He was barely able to stop a choked gasp from escaping his lips as he felt the tip of his cock become constricted, and he instinctively pushed forward, forcing himself deeper into the inexperienced boys throat. It did not take long for Tala to begin struggling or for his member to refuse to go further, buried to the hilt in the younger's mouth, and despite the muffled complaints, he remained where he was, enjoying the sensation before reluctantly drawing away. To his surprise Tala did not make a verbal complaint about the rough treatment he had just shown him, but instead paused only long enough to catch his breath and carried on. He was definitely learning, Kai thought with amusement.

Tala focused all of his energy on trying to please the bluenette, not because he wanted to make Kai happy, but simply to end this situation before he was choked almost to the point of blacking out again. He allowed his tongue to tease the underside of Kai's shaft as he closed his lips tightly around the girth, one hand mimicking the pace he set with his mouth as the other slid up between the other boy's legs to lightly cup his balls. He rolled them gently in his palm, and tried to ignore the voice in the back of his mind. "Faster." Kai demanded lowly.

A racket came from outside and Tala froze in place, as did the distracted bluenette above him. Blue eyes met crimson, and pleaded silently with him. Begged him not to expose their goings-on to the members of the football team who had obviously just completed the last of their thirty laps. But judging by the blaze of furious outrage that had flared deep within the russet eyes, Kai viewed their arrival just as much of an inconvenience as Tala did. But the bluenette said nothing, and thrust suggestively in the boy's mouth, encouraging him to carry on where he had left off.

"_Hey, someone's in the showers…Yo! Who's back there?"_

"I am." Kai called back, unknowingly impressing Tala with his ability to keep his voice level and collected despite the pleasure that coursed through his blood as the redhead's mouth continued suckling hungry on his engorged arousal.

"Kai, you're still here? Why you showering without us?" Tala recognized this voice to belong to Steve. He could hear the sound of even more footsteps approaching the shower-room, and a shiver rolled down his spine at the thought of being caught in such a position. He cowered against the bluenette before his mind could stop him, and though he felt shame he carried on with what he was doing, not wanting to give Kai a reason to expose him before his friends.

"You need me to hold your fucking hand?" Kai snapped nonchalantly, effortlessly sounding angry yet taunting at the same time.

"Whoa, geez. Someone's in a bad mood."

"Yeh well, when you find out what the coach has to say you might not be so jovial either."

"What? What does the coach want?" Rik demanded. Tala could hear the sounds of someone moving down the isle, towards them. He found himself unable to breath and he froze, then tried to jerk his head backwards and away. His retreat was halted by the hand that he had forgotten was in his hair tightening and yanking him forward sharply.

"What the fuck is this shit?" Crusher asked dumbly. "What the fuck does **that** mean?"

Kai turned his body around, keeping Tala's head in place as he leant backwards to gaze down the isle at his team. Rik was halfway towards him and he sent the bulkier boy a warning glare, but it was not entirely required as he turned back and approached the rest of his teammates to gaze at the new graffiti that adorned one of stalls. "What does what mean?"

"You didn't see it?"

"Oh, that. What part are you having difficulty with Crusher?" Kai asked, casting a quick scolding glance to Tala, as if to say 'Now see what you've done'. Then, after a moment, the look changed to one that asked why Tala thought he was on a break. Obediently, the redhead went back to sucking and Kai turned his attention back to the team.

"All of it, I don't get it."

"What it means, simply, is that no one gets paid to write graffiti on a wall and they don't receive recognition for their skills or wit."

"Oh…hey! Steve! Check it out! Someone added to your 'Hate me cus I fucked your mom' thing! They said 'You're drunk, go home dad!'" Crusher broke up into fits of boisterous laughter, followed by chuckles from the other team members.

"Quit spending so much time reading and more time moving your asses out into the lockerroom. The coach has an announcement to make before we leave."

"Shouldn't we shower first?" Steve called as the team began filing out of the showers and into the locker-room.

"No."

"You comin'?"

"In a minute." Hearing the last retreating footsteps fade to silence, Kai turned back to Tala with a wicked smirk. "Better pick up the pace before they come back to investigate."

Tala felt sick but forced himself to carry on, a never-ending mantra of 'the sooner the better' running on through his mind as he tried not to think of the pain he felt. His kneecaps throbbed from the hard tile and the way his skin would rub at the wet denim with every move he made, his jaw ached as his mouth was forced to stretch to accommodate Kai's girth, and what he was sure would be an impressive migraine was beginning to form at the back of his skull at the intermittent tugs and pulls the demanding hand bestowed to his hair. He found himself sucking harder than before, his fingertips squeezing and massaging the smooth skin as they stroked up and down, trying to urge Kai to the edge.

Kai was growing impatient, the interruption had distracted him and thrown him off his game. He was finding it difficult to return to where he had been, enamored in the lithe redhead and enjoying every minute movement he made with his lips and tongue. Now he could not dismiss the thoughts of Rik, graffiti and the coach from his mind. If aforementioned redhead noticed his lack of enthusiasm, Kai would never have been able to tell. He was sure Tala was just eager to end the encounter altogether, but he found himself relaxing as the redhead worked with renewed vigor, and he tugged lightly at the silken crimson strands, tilting the other teens head back so he could stare at hollowed cheeks, bruised cherry lips and narrowed cyan eyes. He moaned loudly and his head fell back as he felt Tala let out a low growl, the key word being 'felt'. If not for the vibrations that sent tingling flames of pleasure racing throughout him, he would never have known the blue-eyed teen's frustration.

He sensed that Kai had enjoyed the growl –for whatever reason- and to distract himself Tala wondered how many growls it would take for the bluenette to reach climax. A gag rose in the back of his throat as he forced himself to take Kai a little deeper than normal and he thought of how much he hated the bluenette at that very moment. He thought of his humiliation, of the fear, of Kenny at home probably getting smarter even though he wasn't at school. And he let out another snarl, feeling the shaft against the inside of his cheeks as he sucked as hard as he could. The broader boy made a kind of choked sound low in the back of his throat, and Tala felt his body tighten instinctively, waiting for the finale and preparing himself for the taste, smell, feel as he vowed that he would not swallow. It would be a minor victory, but it would be his.

When the hardened member was abruptly yanked from his mouth he was surprised, enough so that he was unaware his lips had remained parted until he felt a shot of hot liquid splash against his tongue. It tasted strange, almost like blood but with an added thickness that made it that much harder to identify. He felt another one hit his cheek and squeezed his eyes closed, his head tilting to the side on instinct but it was immediately forced back by the hand entwined between the soaked strands as Kai hissed lowly in satisfaction. The fingers in his hair brought tears to his eyes as they gripped it mercilessly, and Tala spat the offending material from his mouth onto the floor between Kai's feet.

Finally, he felt the grip leave his hair and allowed his weight to slump backwards where he rested his palm on the cold tile to balance himself. He could feel the water swirling around his fingers, and for some reason it made him want to cry. Instead he forced himself to breathe slowly and stare hatefully at the ground below Kai's feet. He could still see the remains of semen, too heavy to be easily washed away, but he steeled himself and told himself that it would go or it wouldn't, he would not touch it to assist it on his way. Gentle fingers grasped his chin and tilted his face up, compelling him to meet the sated russet eyes hovering above a small smirk. "Not bad, for your first time. Your performance will improve with practice I'm sure."

"That was disgusting." Tala snarled back, his eyes regaining some of their former fire as he tried not to shiver as the digits moved off to the side and teased the smooth flesh of his cheek. The touch made his skin crawl.

"You'll get used to it, I'll see to that. I don't like spitters."

"I will **never** swallow that foul slime."

"We shall see. If I were you, I'd leave via the field."

Tala watched the bluenette's form retreat from the shower-room and he slumped back against the wall, biting his lip hard to repress the sobs as he finally allowed the tears to overtake him. He didn't know how much time he spent listening to the low murmur of voices from the locker-room before they suddenly exploded in anger and outrage, but the words were lost as at least six different voices converged in a single great roar of bitterness. There was the sound of crashing and the noise of rapid movement, and he could distinguish the voice of the coach, was sure he could hear the older male trying to calm the shouts, but he had little success.

The sound of Kai's voice was a hard, low dagger through the noise, and the others fell silent after only a word. _"If you two know what's good for you, you'll quit giving me that look and pay attention to what I have to say. We don't know who it's going to be yet, but it __**will**__ be one of you. Now, I recommend you all go home and cool off before this escalates again. I will __**not**__ tolerate fighting between teammates."_

"_Yeah, but one of us won't __**be**__ a teammate by the end of the week!"_

"_Then I recommend you all pick up your game so that you're not the weakest link. Now get your shit, and go home."_

For several moments, there was nothing but the sound of lockers opening and closing, of low angry mutters and the sounds of people leaving, and Tala breathed a small sigh of relief. Kai and the coach spoke quietly for some time after that, but the words were indistinguishable and he was content to simply wait for the sound of retreating feet. He knew it was the coach, Tala doubted Kai would have had the time to dry and dress during all the commotion, and the thought that the bluenette could so easily control his team while wearing nothing but a towel sent a sliver of rage racing through his blood.

That bastard…he pushed himself to his feet and slowly moved towards the locker-room.


	4. Chapter 3

Pretty When You Cry Chapter 3

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AN: Was having some trouble putting stuff out, so just a short chapter to get over the hill. Next one will be longer and more informative, I promise :) And thanks to Luna-sama for being my delightfully inspirational sunbeam, as always.

"Hey!" He found Kai toweling himself dry with one hand and grabbing his pants with the other. Without thought he gave the pale back a hard shove, and he fought back surprise as Kai didn't even budge, simply turning to face him with an amused smirk. He registered the sharp stab of fear in his gut at the way those devious crimson eyes twinkled with mirth as they lazily took in his shivering form, upwards and down, assessing and analyzing the way only Kai could. He couldn't help but notice it bothered him more now than it ever did in the past, and he started to wonder what he had been thinking following the bluenette back into the locker rooms.

"I see you did not take my advice and leave by the field. I had a feeling you wouldn't…" The eyes seemed to falter from their stare, but even as he thought it Tala recognized that this was not the right word. In those crafty crimson eyes there was no trace of the uncertainty faltering would cause. No…they were predatory, mocking, as they examined his body. "Is something the matter pet?" He asked lowly, his voice dangerously confident in the empty room. "Did I fail to meet your needs in the showers? How selfish of me…"

Tala didn't even have the chance to blink before his wrist was taken in a vice-like grip and he was thrown face-first against the cold steel of a locker, the trapped arm being held securely in the small of his back and causing a painful pull at his shoulder. "I…have no…needs…that need to…be fulfilled…by you." He managed to grind out through gritted teeth, the right side of his face crushed tightly to the cold metal even though Kai held only one of his wrists. The remainder of the hold seemed simply to be strength of body and will.

A hand danced tauntingly against his thigh.

"Such a pity you feel that way…but I saw your reaction earlier. You seemed to enjoy the way I kissed you…" The hand slipped higher and came to rest against the front of his pants. "…lets see if I can evoke some reactions from you, hmm?" He bit back a moan as the strong palm rubbed lightly at the wet denim, squeezing his eyes tightly closed and attempting to dispel the arousal that was quickly pooling in his groin. "Unlike your mouth, your body will not lie to me Tala. It reacts to me already and I've barely even started."

"I lied about nothing." There was a light squeeze and the hand departed, allowing him to breathe easy once more.

The sound of his zipper lowering was almost deafening in his ears and he jerked back, pulling his hips away from the hand only to feel himself bump against something solid and he swallowed as he realized exactly what it was. A shiver rolled down his spine as Kai laughed softly near his ear. "For the moment I'll dismiss the argument about your arousal, because the evidence was in my hand mere moments ago and we both know you cannot deny that. But you know as well as I do that there are **some** needs you desire me to satisfy…" The invading fingers curled heedlessly into the waistband of his jeans, pulling them down past his thighs in a single quick pull. "…and if you wish me to do so, you had best start complying with our agreement."

"What does **this** have to do with **that**?"

Kai spun the slender Russian around in a moment, slamming him back against the locker as he eased his body against the other. "You agreed to obey me, did you not?" A smirk pulled at the corner of his lips as he detected the ill-disguised fear that flared within the azure eyes and he allowed one hand to rise to cup a pale cheek, forcing Tala to maintain eye-contact even as the other hand stroked lightly at the boys thigh. "Your very words were, 'You have my compliance to do as you wish'."

"And your wish is to get **me** off?" He tried to sound mocking as he shot the bluenette a baleful stare but the smirk upon the Senior's face merely seemed to widen.

"Something along those lines…but not out of any desire to please you."

Tala whimpered when the fingers at his thigh took grip and forced their bodies closer as the bluenette thrust against him, sending a teasing trail of pleasure blazing through his shivering body. Warm breath ghosted by his ear while slate bangs tickled his cheek, his body retreating instinctively towards the safety of the icy steel door at his back but finding no reprieve from the well-sculpted frame that kept him trapped as it pushed closer, forcing the redhead to feel him.

"I will be pleased knowing that I have more control over your body than you do."

The hips ground firmly against his own once more at the same time lips feathered gentle kisses against the responsive skin at his neck and he clenched his eyes closed, fighting back the urge to grip onto the strong shoulders, to find more friction and lose himself in what he knew would be a long-overdue release. He had had no will, no desire to feed the hormonal teenage arousal that had pursued him like a shadow over the last few months, be it by himself or with others. He had studiously ignored the calls of his teenage body, his heart aching and mind condemning it for its treachery to the one he longed for. The one who had always been there for him, who had promised to take care of him and had sworn would always love him. Pleasure flared behind his closed eyelids once more, drawing a low shaky moan from his throat. "B-Bryan…"

"Excuse me?"

Tala swallowed thickly and forced his eyes open as he felt the broader body draw back, but only enough that he might be able to meet the redheads eyes. His stomach knotted at the contradictions in the older boys demeanor, sending mixed signals about how his slip had been received. The tilted head implied curiosity, the narrowed crimson eyes hinted towards anger. The hands he had not noticed cupping his rear tightly were now almost painful in their grip, and he realized after several long moments that Kai expected some kind of explanation. He threw his eyes to the side and let out a shuddering sigh as he let his gaze lock on the door to the locker-room. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" Kai repeated softly. "You consider moaning the name of your former lover while I touch you to be nothing?"

"You never said I had to think of you." Tala replied shortly, a frown working its way onto his features as a hand left his rear to grasp his face and force him to meet the enraged crimson eyes of the bluenette.

"Then I will have to make sure you are unable to think of anything else."

Abruptly the older Russian pulled away from him as a hand snatched his wrist in a vice-like grip and his free hand shot up in an instinctive, blind swing. If it had made contact the force behind it might have put the other on the defensive, but it seemed this had been exactly the reaction Kai had expected as he jerked back, tugging the slighter redhead with him as the other stumbled into his arms with the forward momentum of his attack. His other hand promptly joined the first as the amused bluenette slammed him back against the unforgiving steel of the lockers once more with a victorious smirk as he lifted the captured wrists up over Tala's head. Though the scene replayed itself in slow motion before his eyes, the whole thing had taken less thirty seconds, and with a soft hissing breath Tala snarled, "Bastard!"

"That's what my mother tells me, you rude little _Suka_." Kai agreed with a light chuckle as he used a knee to knock the younger males thighs apart to mold himself into the delightfully snug niche he had created for himself.

"Then _vob tuvoyu mat_."

For a moment he was surprised, but he laughed it away quickly enough as he lowered his free hand to tug the knot from the towel around his waist, forgetting it before it even reached the floor, smirking at the widening blue eyes that were flicking fearfully down between their bodies than back up to his eyes. "Why would I fuck her when I have you, Tala?" Lightly, he thrust against the redhead who bit his lip in an obvious attempt to remain silent as his eyes clenched into a wince even as his traitorous hips pushed back, seeking more contact than what had been given. He slid his arm around the delightfully slender waist, forcing the blue-eyed teen closer as he moved with the boy once more. "You have piqued my interest, however…"

"Shut up."

"…do you think Bryan will mind this? Honestly I don't particularly care either way, but I think it would matter to you." His head fell forward to rest against the locker, turning to the side so that his lips lightly brushed the sensitive outershell of the younger Russians ear as he asked lowly, "How do you think he'd feel knowing you got onto your knees for me in the showers and…" He trailed off, laughing lowly as he felt Tala trying to turn his face away, his jaw clenched tightly closed to prevent him from responding. It seemed that Bryan was still a raw nerve, one he would exploit if only to shame the defiant redhead. "…well, we both know what happened there, so it doesn't need repeating. When he graduated he went to Rockwood, didn't he?"

'W-Wha…?"

"It's not that far, only a few miles…maybe I'll drop by the campus and pay him a visit." The lithe body bristled and he smirked in delight at the thought that this would bother the redhead. Clearly he had not been the instigator of the break-up. This, Kai realized, also made Bryan perhaps the most foolish man alive – who would give up the sight of those defiant sapphire eyes dimming to submission as he was forced to do what he did not wish to. The impulse to force the redhead back onto his knees was sudden and violently strong, his hand was already moving to grasp the lean shoulder before he realized it and he fought the desire away, instead dropping his hand between them to grasp the younger Russian's rigid arousal. He gave a shallow stroke, coaxing the lean hips to thrust into his hand, smirking in satisfaction. "Maybe I can figure out why when I touch you, you moan for him."

"I…fuck you Hiwatari you…you fucking…"

Other than his occasional outburst of foul-language, Kai had assumed the redhead docile. He didn't struggle, at least not in any physical manner normally defined as struggling. He resisted by refusing to make eye-contact, by trying to remain silent, to deny Kai any of the small pleasures he would receive by allowing the blue-eyed Russian pleasure. But when the slender teens legs abruptly gave way from beneath him Kai was tugged down by the grip he had on the boys wrists and his head slammed rather painfully against the door of the locker with a loud thunk, but he had no time to recover from this shock as the wrists were pulled free from his grasp and shot out to push him backwards. As soon as his back hit the cold, icy tile he seemed to regain some sense of what was happening and he went to straighten, only to have the delicious little redhead straddle his waist, and he caught the fist that swung down to meet him. Effortlessly he jerked it hard and used the boys own momentum to put him on his back, reversing their positions as he once more set about capturing and pinning the other teens hands. "I was unaware you wanted me to be rougher with you. All you'd have to do is ask."

"If you go near him," Tala seethed, his breathing ragged and his eyes narrowed, ignoring the taunt from the bluenette and the fact that he was once again trapped. "I will kill you."

"You'd kill me for your lover, but not your brother. Interesting." He murmured thoughtfully as he eased his body away and rose to his haunches, head cocking as he examined the still prone redhead. "Maybe if you'd defended him with the same ferocity you defend Bryan you wouldn't have ended up giving blow-jobs in locker-rooms."

Silently the redhead sat up, staring at the bluenette in a mix of horror and fury, clearly stung by the words. Then the moment passed, his face hardening into an unreadable mask as he rose to his feet and shrugged for no reason other than to shrug, turning and heading back towards the showers. "You don't know anything about this, so just keep your mouth shut and stick to the deal, you'll get what you want."

Kai laughed at the retreating back, shaking his head as he turned his own attention to getting redressed. "Defiant little _Suka_." He murmured to himself as he pulled on his pants, shaking his head in amusement. He had identified two of the redheads weaknesses, those were all he needed to know. Now it was only a matter of breaking the teens insolent streak and his work would be completed. He'd be able to take Tala when he wanted, how he wanted, and those beautiful baby-blues wouldn't bat an eyelash, no matter how ridiculous or outrageous the request. He grabbed up his bag and after closing his locker he glanced idly around the room, searching for any hint that the redhead had ever been there and, pleased to find none, headed for the door. "He hasn't realized I get what I want anyway."

.0.

_Suka_ is Russian for 'bitch'. _Vob tuvoyu mat_ is (supposed) to be 'fuck your mother' in Russian.


End file.
